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What Temperature Should You Set Your Thermostat In Winter?

. Posted by in • Austin
What temperature to set thermostat in winter when away

Summer is over for another year, and that means that Austinites can finally unpack their sweaters and fuzzy socks. While we have a shorter and more mild winter than many of our friends to the north, that doesn’t mean we don’t need to keep our homes warm in the winter. A common question most people have is what temperature to set the thermostat when they are away, whether that means you are simply at work or if you are on a trip. It can be difficult to know what temperature to leave an empty house in the winter.

Temperature to Leave Your House in Winter

Below are some tips for saving energy while keeping your house comfortable year-round.

Ideal Temperatures for your Home

Setting temperatures for your home seems simple, but it can actually be a bit of a balancing act between comfort and HVAC efficiency.

According to Consumer Reports, if you want to save … Read Full Post »

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How To Grow a Drought Tolerant Lawn

. Posted by in • San Antonio

Keeping your grass green and healthy can be a struggle in parts of the country which regularly experience drought. In these regions, there may be only small fluctuations in climate between seasons, and the summer months can be extremely hot. While the mostly steady climate is reliable and livable for residents, months of dry, rainless days can be taxing on your lawn and garden.

How to Grow a Drought Tolerant Lawn

For homeowners looking for ways to grow a more drought tolerant lawn, there is hope. Read below to learn what you can do to improve your lawn’s resistance to drought.

Water Effectively

It may seem counterintuitive, but overwatering your lawn can do more harm than good for your grass and plants. Watering your lawn several times a week—something many homeowners do—can prevent your lawn’s roots from growing deeper in the soil. In other words, overwatered roots only grow a few inches into the … Read Full Post »

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Fire Safety Tips To Keep Your Loved Ones Safe All Year Long

. Posted by in • Houston
fire safety tips

Cold winter nights call for warm beverages, movie nights, and of course, curling up by the fireplace.

Keep Your Loved Ones Safe With These Fire Safety Tips

Before you light the fire and cuddle up under a few blankets, there are a few things you should consider. Read our fire safety tips below to keep your family and home safe this winter.

Perform Regular Maintenance

Both wood burning and gas fireplaces are designed to keep your family safe. Still, though, it’s important to perform proper maintenance operations before lighting the first fire of the season.

One of the first things you’ll want to do is ensure your fireplace is clear of obstructions and creosote. This can be done by a professional chimney sweep. Do this annually, before you light your first fire. Your chimney sweep will share other fireplace safety tips with you which may be particularly relevant to your home.

Once your fireplace is … Read Full Post »

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The Best Way To Get Rid Of Moths

. Posted by in • San Antonio
best way to get rid of moths

Moths can be a mystery to homeowners. To determine the best way to get rid of moths, you’ll need to learn how to identify the types of moths and eggs you might be seeing in your home, how to prevent these bothersome insects from damaging your home, and how to treat your home to get rid of these common household pests.

Where Do Moths Come From?

Moths generally make their way into your home in product packaging you bring home from a store or warehouse. Some moths may hatch over time in items which you have stored for an extended period of time, like birdseed. Usually, an infestation in your closet can be traced back to a single article of clothing (so wash that sweater from the thrift store before you put it in your closet!)

Identifying and Treating Pantry Moths and Larvae

Some common moths you may have in your home are pantry … Read Full Post »

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Choosing An Eco-Friendly Fertilizer For Your Lawn

. Posted by in • Austin
environmentally friendly lawn care

It seems like everything is organic these days. No matter where you go—restaurants, soap shops, farmers markets, and even clothing stores—the word organic is used to describe the product being sold. And it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Time and time again, the benefits of buying organic have proven beneficial. When you buy organic products, you’re making an effort to avoid pesticides, genetically modified organisms, and growth additives. And while buying organic usually refers to the food we eat, its benefits can be noticed in other products as well, like your lawn fertilizer. More and more homeowners are choosing environmentally friendly lawn care over other alternatives.

Choosing An Eco-Friendly Fertilizer For Your Lawn

At ABC Home & Commercial Services, we strive to care for your lawn in a holistic way. This includes choosing the best products on the market. And while we’ve used a variety of products to care for lawns in the … Read Full Post »

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Strange But True: Our Craziest Pest Control Calls

. Posted by in • San Antonio
strange but true

As a company that’s been helping Austinites take care of pests for over 60 years, ABC Home & Commercial Services has made thousands of house calls. In most cases, our skilled and knowledgeable technicians quickly put homeowners’ minds at ease with a thorough inspection and a suggested course of action to get rid of pests. In a few cases, however, our pest control experts have run across some bothersome critters which necessitate a more creative approach. Over the years, we have collected a number of strange but true pest stories.

Strange But True: Our Craziest Pest Control Calls

As Texas’ largest independently owned pest control company, we’ve had our share of memorable pest control calls. We’d like to share a few of these strange but true stories with you.

Jake The Racoon Causes Trouble

One of our most memorable experiences in the pest control business involved a wily raccoon our technicians affectionately called Jake. … Read Full Post »

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What You Need To Know About Crazy Ants

. Posted by in , • Austin
Paratrechina longicornis

A new ant species has been discovered in the southern parts of the United States: the crazy ant. What’s important to know about these ants, which are also referred to by their scientific names, Nylanderia fulva (Rasberry crazy ant) and Paratrechina longicornis (the Longhorn crazy ant)? For starters, both of these ant species are not native to the United States, and both are considered pests.

Read on to learn what crazy ants are, how they got their name, what attracts them, and what impact they are having on humans.

What Are Crazy Ants?

Crazy ants were first discovered in 2002 in an industrial park outside of Houston. Exterminator Tom Rasberry noticed ants which were moving erratically and which caused significant damage to electrical equipment. “When you see fast-moving ants that are not following a path, they are probably crazy ants,” explained Randy McCarty, ABC’s Director of Training and resident entomologist, who has … Read Full Post »

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Liven Up Your Home With Winter Decorations

. Posted by in • Orlando
winter decorations

Want to bring a little taste of winter inside without overwhelming your house with traditional Christmas decorations? Or perhaps you’re searching for some seasonally-appropriate decor once your presents are unwrapped and your tree is put away. Look no further – we have many ideas for winter decorations for you!

Decorate with Nature

Natural accents are the way to go if you are looking for winter decorating ideas. You might consider adding a few of the following elements to your home:

  • Choose boughs of evergreens like pine and fir to decorate your dining room table and fireplace.
  • Pinecones, with or without a dusting of artificial snow, are great around candles or as part of a centerpiece.
  • Try a glass bowl filled with acorns (caps still included).
  • For extra pizazz and staying power, use silver or gold spray paint on large dried leaves, such as those from … Read Full Post »
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Hate Mosquitoes? Then You Should Love Bats

. Posted by in • Orlando
benefits of bats

When you think of bats, do you imagine vampires sucking your blood or scary Halloween decorations? If so, you might want to reconsider those preconceived notions. Bats are very misunderstood mammals that don’t hurt humans or our pets. On the contrary, these creatures serve a vital role in our ecosystem.

The Benefits of Bats

Let’s learn more about Florida’s different types of bats and their vital function. Once you know how amazing bats are, you might encourage them to move into your backyard!

Facts About Bats

Bats are small, winged mammals of the order Chiroptera and can be found worldwide. Their forelimbs (arms) have webbed wings and are the only mammals to maintain accurate flight.

The vast majority are insectivores, meaning they eat flying insects. Some species eat fruit and nectar. Only a few rare species eat living creatures other than insects. Out of 1200 species, only three feasts on blood. These bats are … Read Full Post »

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How Organic Fertilizer Can Save You Money

. Posted by in • San Antonio

The word organic often evokes a negative reaction from consumers. While the benefits of organic products and lasting impacts on one’s health and the long-term effects they have on the environment are positive, many are quick to assume that the higher prices don’t outweigh those long-term outcomes. When it comes to your lawn, the benefits of organic fertilizer, even from a cost perspective, are worth the investment.

How Organic Fertilizer Can Save You Money

When it comes to your lawn, your health, and the environment, it’s important to consider the long-term consequences of the products you choose. When you are evaluating the pros and cons of organic fertilizer, cost is certainly a consideration. And while the initial costs of organic fertilizers might be more expensive, using organic fertilizer today will help you save money tomorrow.

Fertilizers made from synthetic materials may achieve short-term results, but organic ingredients allow plants to absorb nutrients … Read Full Post »

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